I might be reading too much into this, but it seems to me that we have seen a much more active Hartford Police Department since the end of the Perez Administration. Just this week alone raids of small neighborhoods stores resulted in the closing of a couple stores as well as arrests of some operators.
The part that was even stranger is that the media was actually invited along to show the good work that HPD is doing. What a difference a few weeks makes.
It used to be like pulling teeth to get a press release or even photographs of weapons and drugs seized. Now today on the heels of yesterdays raids, a press release and photographs of drugs and weapons seized was sent out from HPD. The press release is below.
It may just be a coincidence, but hopefully Chief Roberts and the men and women of the Hartford Police Department will be allowed, and encouraged, to do what needs to be done.
HARTFORD POLICE NEWS
For Immediate Release: July 23, 2010
HARTFORD POLICE DETECTIVES EXECUTE 2 SEARCH WARRANTS -
SEIZE 8 FIREARMS AND ILLEGAL DRUGS
(Hartford) - On July 22, 2010, detectives from the Hartford Police Department’s Intelligence Division executed search and seizure warrants at 58 Annawan Street and 6 Regent Street. As a result of the execution of the warrants, detectives made one arrest and seized over 10 pounds of marijuana, PCP, $14,945 dollars in US currency, two (2) long guns, two (2) revolvers, four (4) pistols and numerous rounds of ammunition.
The arrested party , a previously convicted felon, was identified as Jorge Oquendo (03/20/58) of 58 Annawan Street. He was charged with eight counts of Criminal Possession of a Firearm, three counts of Theft of a Firearm, two counts of Possessing a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Operating a Drug Factory, Possession of a Restricted Substance and Possession of a Controlled Substance within 1500 feet of a School. Some of the evidence seized is pictured below.
Jorge Oquendo
19 comments:
YES.YES.YES!!! The drug dealers my neighborhood have complained about for 20 years are GONE. And they've been gone sinece late June/early July. The new leadership in the South End really helps too. We are seeing long term relief from complaints neighbors have made, not just stopping the problem (if that ever happened before) on the night we call the police, but ensuring the problem does not reoccur. It is amazing.
I know there has been on this blog and elsewhere that Eddie influenced police work in town. If that is the case it would be important, to say the least, to have it demonstrated. I hope the corruption under which we have been governed is not to that extent. In the mean time, God Bless the cops in doing what they can in keeping things under control (or close).
God bless the cops....let us praise their efforts and hope they take more scumbags off the street
Oh my F#$%^ God! Are you guys serious? One bust and all of a sudden the former mayor was tying the cops hands on really doing police work?! Bruce, feel free to opine on the rest of this city as you sit in your gated community and Peter, move out already. You obviously do not like living in the City so do us all a favor.
Kevin, all one needs to do is get to your eighth word of your gazillion word entry and say "Yes! You're reading too much into this!"
only lawyers use the word "opine"
Anonymous, you're right one good bust isn't enough, but give it time.
No one but the Chief of Police can say for sure how much influence Mayor Perez had over HPD. What we do know is Mayor Perez tried to lead the city by denying it had problems.
Perez disbanded the HPD Gang unit because he didn't want the public to think Hartford had "real" gangs. Yet if you recall from the news last year the city was trying to get federal grant money to wage war on gangs. Part of that grant process was to show the Feds Hartford had gang issues. Which is it?
Eddie also required major drug bust to be approved through him because he didn't like them making the news. Again he was more concerned about Hartford's image then he was about removing large quantities of drugs from the streets.
Do you remember when Torres was hit on park street and the video made national TV. Chief Roberts spoke what he believed was the truth when he said "Hartford is losing it's moral compass". A lot of citizens of Hartford applauded his words and many felt it was about time someone in a leadership role said what everyone was thinking. The very next day Chief Roberts publicly back peddled on those words with Perez standing next to him. Again, Perez more concerned about the city's image then dealing with a real issue.
Regardless of your personal feelings of Perez the fact was he felt the best approach to leading Hartford was to use smoke and mirrors and try to convince the public that "crime is down". Pretty much an impossible task when there's a Hartford shooting on the news every week.
Just like an alcoholic who refuses to admit s/he has a problem, the city can't tackle its issues and eventually heal if the Mayor tries to deny there's even a problem.
One of the most refreshing changes we are about to see under Mayor Segarra's leadership is he's not afraid to admit Hartford has issues and tackle those issues head on. He understands you some times have to take a few steps backwards if you want to go forward again.
Living in the fantasy land Perez tried to sell us was getting the city nowhere.
Matt is 100% correct....and I already feel abit safer in Hartford.
Too bad Mr Anonymous doesn't have the balls to post in his own name.
You are turning into a mouth piece for the administration,(even if what you are saying is true).
Just keep your eyes open for what is wrong. Mayor already has a public relation department on the payroll.
If they don't consider you a real pain in the ***, then you are not doing your job.
.Mr Anonymous..I dont mind if Kevin from time to time posts what is going right with the City.His postings are a good way where we all can track the progress of Hartford.Rest assured that I believe Kevin will also continue to post what is wrong or went wrong in Hartford,as he sees it.Until such time as Kevin stops posting what is going wrong or what went wrong, it is unfair to accuse Kevin of being a mouthpiece of the administration.
...and Peter, move out already. You obviously do not like living in the City so do us all a favor...
Anonymous:
Being one of the beautiful people, I have long been tempted to move to a beautiful-person- American-community district. I'm thinking East Hartford, perhaps. Or, maybe move where the weather is a bit milder, like Meriden. But, I stay here because I think it's very important to give back to the community. I do it for the children. But, also, I really like my furnace.
Bruce, hate to burst your bubble, but lawyers are not the only ones who use the word opine. My boss is a college drop out and he uses the word along with a few other buzz words he feels will make people think he is intelligent.
Thank you Vito...i have no bubble to burst nor an ego to feed....i recognize that all kinds of people use that word, though it is a favorite word of lawyers to use.
Bruce,
You are probably correct about "opine", with the exception of Vito's boss. But I do know one Hartford attorney that is fond of the term "gazillion" and "bazillion"
Coincidence? maybe :)
And as far as actual incidents, I would like to post some of them here, but Eddie is gone and it is not important now and I still need to respect my sources confidentiality.
But just to show that that the "Perez leash" on HPD existed, prior to a drug raid of a large scale drug dealing operation in the Park Street/Zion Street area, Perez was informed of the raid which was happening at the same time he was being advised of it and his immediate response was "how am I going to explain this?". Explain to who Eddie? Who was anticipating your silence or protection ?
Off topic, but because John Rose has some kind of emotional/psychological issue and refused to resign when directed by the Mayor did he forfeit his pension because he was technically fired?
Source :
http://capitalregionreport.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/pedro-segarra-john-rose-and-the-battle-mayorale/
Kev, within the 2 weeks, three key Intelligence Detectives got taken off "desk duty" and unleashed on the city. They had been inside for the past year and a half waiting to be cleared of a shooting (standard protocal, although this took a very long time due to the poor relationship between the Chief of Police and the States Attorney's office) So, for the past year and a half these detectives have been stock-piling their information and tips. Now they are finally getting to act on them. All these recent warrants are theirs. Mayor Perez had nothing to do with those detectives being kept inside and now being back on full duty... well wait a minute: unless you think Perez made Chief Roberts the chief to boost his popularity with the Northend voters. Because Chief Roberts has severe issues with any woman in power and especially with Ms. Gail Hardy- the Chief States Attorney at GA14... If you think that, you are probably correct. (please feel free to check with Ms. Hardy, or anyone at GA14, or at HPD) So by proxy, by making a grossly unqualified chief of police to help with votes, Mayor Perez did have something to do with this situation.
ps. I am glad you feel better, please take care of yourself.
Bruce, Your posts are always thought provoking, if not universally agreed with. I'd like to offer up on opine that you are absolutely correct in your statement: God bless the cops....let us praise their efforts and hope they take more scumbags off the street. They deserve our support and respect.
only the odd-numbered pages of the Vilma Saez arbitration decision are posted. Can we see all the pages?
Another word lawers use is "Trust me". That we all know is a bunch of BS.
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